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In
order to be true to
conservatism's most fundamental ideas, one must resist hasty,
shortsighted, selfish, or purely partisan judgments that do not
contribute to the broader public good or protect the interests of
future generations. In short, a genuine conservative is a good and
thoughtful steward.
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Op-eds Index
Inglis Is Thoughtful Conservative That the GOP Needs
By David Jenkins, REP vice president for government and political affairs, and South Carolina REP
member John Wagner, published July 9, 2009, in the Greenville (SC) News
The
Republican Party's standing with the American public is at an alarming
low. A recent Pew Research poll found that only 27 percent of voters
currently identify themselves as Republicans.
There are many theories as to why our nation's conservative party has
fallen on hard times. Some blame the Bush presidency, others point to a
lack of fiscal discipline, and yet others blame the party's stance on
social issues. The problem is more fundamental, however.
Too many Republicans who proudly and loudly profess to be conservative
have lost touch with what conservatism means.
Some have become so blinded by partisanship or pet issues that they
have become more reactionary than thoughtful. Others seem to have taken
the libertarian path and ended up in an almost liberal place — a
mindset that champions freedom while ignoring responsibility.
One consequence of these mistakes is that they have led many in the
Republican Party to abandon originally conservative ideas such as
resource conservation and environmental stewardship — and cede these
issues to liberals by default.
This part of the Upstate is fortunate to be represented in Congress by
Bob Inglis, a thoughtful conservative who fully understands traditional
conservative principles and takes his stewardship obligation seriously.
The fathers of traditional conservative thought — such as British
statesman Edmund Burke, American political theorist Russell Kirk, and
the Carolinas' own conservative philosopher/author Richard Weaver —
emphasized prudent forethought, humility, a spirit of piety and
responsible stewardship.
Weaver, in his classic conservative book, “Ideas Have Consequences,”
pointed out that the root of man's failures and society's ills is
people making unintelligent choices.
In order to be true to conservatism's most fundamental ideas, one must
resist hasty, shortsighted, selfish, or purely partisan judgments that
do not contribute to the broader public good or protect the interests
of future generations. In short, a genuine conservative is a good and
thoughtful steward.
Congressman Inglis gets this, something of a rarity among today's
politicians. He is focused more on solving problems than scoring
political points. He arrives at his policy positions through careful
research, an honest assessment of the facts, and a commitment to
conservative values.
Inglis has come under fire lately because he believes it is prudent to
protect our atmosphere by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Those who
criticize Inglis for that position might be surprised to learn that he
is following the lead of another thoughtful conservative: Ronald Reagan.
Reagan, when faced with mounting scientific concern about ozone
depletion, let neither the doomsday ranting of then-Congressman Al Gore
nor the scoffing of his fellow Republicans influence his decision.
Instead, Reagan listened carefully to the experts, weighed the facts,
and took prudent action to safeguard our atmosphere.
Today the ozone layer is healing, not because of Al Gore's hype, but
because of Ronald Reagan's leadership. It was Reagan, not Gore, who
pushed through the treaty to begin phasing out ozone-depleting
chemicals used in aerosol sprays and refrigeration equipment.
Reagan was no less of a conservative because he let facts trump
polarizing rhetoric and chose to act in the best interest of our
children and grandchildren. He was exactly the kind of thoughtful
conservative that our party and our nation needs.
So is Bob Inglis.
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